On Saturday, the #Broncos released QB Caleb Hanie and signed DT Sealver Siliga to the active roster: denverbroncos.com/news-and-blogs…

— Denver Broncos (@Denver_Broncos) September 8, 2012

The Denver Broncos today released backup quarterback Caleb Hanie. The Broncos apparently feel confident in Peyton Manning‘s durability and rookie Brock Osweiler backing him up.  The move does free up some cap room and to replace Hanie, the Broncos signed Sealver Siligia to the active roster.

The good news is, for those of you who may not be happy about Hanie being cut, the Broncos defense now has solid depth all along the defensive line, which should keep their pass rushers fresh throughout the game.

Denver Broncos News

• Forget about the offenses, it’s all about the defense for both the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams look to disrupt the others offensive game plans with an aggressive pass rush. [Denver Post]
• Honestly, I hope Rashard Mendenhall starts for the Steelers on Sunday. Players always tend to come back a week early and are largely ineffective that first game back. I’d take that. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
• Meanwhile, James Harrison isn’t likely to play Sunday, although the Steelers have yet to officially announce it. Any advantage for the Broncos is a good one. [CBS Sports]
• In spite of the solid play from the Broncos defense in preseason, it is hard not to have some doubts considering the last 6 years of largely embarrassing defensive efforts. Add that to multiple forty-burgers the defense allowed last season, some writers think the Steelers should attack early and often. [Bleacher Report]
• A good friend of mine put up a “this day in history” post on a sister blog today.  I remember that game and I also believe the Broncos started a long streak of losing season openers not many seasons after that. [MHR]

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more Broncos updates throughout the day.

Denver Broncos quarterbacks (from left) Adam Weber, Peyton Manning, and Brock Osweiler participate in training camp practice on Sunday, July 29, 2012. (Kyle Montgomery/BroncoTalk.net photo)

The last time Peyton Manning was quarterbacking an NFL team, True Grit was topping the American box office.

(Granted, it was the 2010 remake, not the 1969 original, but you get the idea.)

“Tighten Up” by The Black Keys topped the rock charts. Call of Duty: Black Ops was dominating gamers’ televisions. The Colorado Rockies had finished 83-79, hopeful to return to professional baseball’s postseason the next year.

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was tragically among 19 people shot in Tucson, AZ. Osama bin Laden was still alive.

Today, at least as fat as pop culture is concerned, we find ourselves in the Land of Sequels. The Black Keys are in the Top 10 of the rock charts again, but with a different song on a different album. Call of Duty released Modern Warfare 3 since then and is on the brink of Black Ops II.

And Peyton Manning starts a new chapter in his career, on a different football team.

January 8, 2011 — the last time Peyton played in an NFL regular season game.

Twenty months.

87 weeks.

610 days.

Almost to the day, it will be Manning’s first game in a new football uniform in 14 years. No longer an Indianapolis Colt, Manning is a Denver Bronco. It’s Peyton Freaking Manning: The Sequel. And we all have John Elway to thank for it. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The AFC West Watch returns this year and nothing pleases me more than to spend my time finding little ways to bash our AFC West brethren while still providing facts and analysis.  We’ll start this first week looking at the Denver Broncos. They face a tough Week 1 opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers, so I won’t likely feel the sky is falling if the Broncos lose – as long as its reasonably competitive.  It is a home opener after all and I am sure we are all sick of watching home losses. A victory here, however, will do much to make me dream of dancing Lombardi Trophies.  Yes after one week, for I am still a fan.

Oakland Raiders – 0-0

The Oakland Raiders have looked terrible this preseason – I should know, I live in Sacramento – and should continue their downward spiral.  It appears 8-8 is the best they can do.  And that makes me happy.  Their schedule is only slightly less brutal than the Broncos, so they’ll be lucky to reach .500 again in 2012.  Hopefully, Carson Palmer will hold onto his job long enough for Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil to help him regret his decision to keep playing football.

UP NEXT – San Diego Chargers (0-0). Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Denver Broncos News

• Jack Del Rio has a big task ahead of him this week, as the Denver Broncos look to stop the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive attack.  We all want to talk about Peyton Manning, but I sense that is where the game will be won or lost. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Willis McGahee is looking to become an exception to the running back rules and achieve multiple 1000 yards rushing seasons on the sunny side of his thirtieth birthday. [Denver Post]
• The Steelers apparently won’t be looking to the past – cough, bs, cough – only to the future and stopping Peyton Manning.  They should be focused on how to stop Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller. [The Pueblo Chieftain]
• I always enjoy the different perspectives of game previews. There is the optimism from a sister blog, then there is the tepid reception of the Broncos over at CBS Sports, and also the downright brutal truth from Walter. [Predominantly Orange, CBS Sports & WalterFootball.com]
• There is also a minority contingent of people who want nothing more than to end the NFL permanently to save people from themselves.  Sure, it sounds bad when one quotes that the odds of someone having long term disabilities are four times more likely for a football player than it is for the average Joe, but what they don’t mention is that it’s still less than 1% of all football players. The answer is likely in technology, not in ending football. [Denver Post]

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more Broncos updates throughout the day.

Denver Broncos News

• Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos are just days away debuting the 2012 NFL Season.  As a fan, it feels like Christmas is just around the corner. [DenverBroncos.com]
• Perusing for videos, brought me to this great breakdown of the Broncos offensive scheme with Manning at the helm.  I didn’t know NFL.com actually had good analysts. [NFL.com]
• Apparently, revenge will not play a role in the rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Everyone’s afraid of being accused of taking bounties, but if the Steelers are not out for revenge or redemption or whatever you want to call it, then I expect a huge win by the Broncos. [Denver Post]
• It appears what secured Knowshon Moreno a spot on the roster was his ability to block on third down.  Though his recent ascension up to a backup role could mean other factors came into play as well. [CBS Sports]
• Oh and don’t forget, sporting a Peyton Manning jersey to school is totally gangsta. [The Denver Channel]

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more Broncos updates throughout the day.

Record: 12-4 (2011), 3-1 preseason
Streak: Lost 1 (2011)
Series vs. Denver: 7-13-1 (3-7-1 away)
Last time: Broncos, 29-23, 2011 playoffs
The Line: Denver by 1.5

The Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers kickoff the 2012 season on Sunday night in Peyton Manning‘s Broncos debut. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. MDT. Here’s our first look at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Who’s hot: Rookie running back Chris Rainey. The fifth round draft pick out of Florida has reportedly won both starting returners spots for the Steelers after an impressive preseason showing. Rainey had punt return touchdowns of 78 and 90 yards in Week Four of the preseason that were both brought back due to holding penalties. Outside of those electrifying plays, Rainey had two other big-play touchdowns this preseason: a 57-yard touchdown reception in Week One and a 41-yard rushing touchdown in Week Three. This late round draft pick has become a diamond in the draft rough — a triple threat now when many other rookies in his draft slot were on their respective teams’ roster bubbles.

Who’s not: Steelers offensive line. The unit, much maligned and injury-riddled since 2010, didn’t finish the preseason healthy either. They lost first round draft pick guard David DeCastro to a knee injury, likely for the season, and allowed 14 sacks in four preseason games.

Matchup to Watch: Ben Roethlisberger vs. Broncos defense. A crucial component to every Broncos victory over a Roethlisberger-led Steelers team has been pressuring the quarterback, and last January’s playoff victory at Sports Authority Field at Mile High was no exception. Roethlisberger was rattled. However, word on the street is that Big Ben is healthy for the first time in over a calendar year. He has a pair of weapons in Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace that will cause any defensive coordinator fits, and if he’s mobile enough to evade pressure and make time, Brown and Wallace will make the Broncos pay.

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning throws during the team's stadium scrimmage on Saturday, August 4th, 2012. (BroncoTalk.net photo/Kyle Montgomery)

BRONCOS VS. STEELERS TV SCHEDULE

Get ready, Broncos fans! The start of the 2012 NFL and Denver Broncos season is only days away!

The Broncos kickoff their 2012 season at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers in front of a national audience on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Peyton Manning makes his orange and blue debut as the Steelers look to avenge their 23-26 overtime loss to the Broncos in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last year.

Kickoff: Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. MDT
Location: Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, CO

TV Information: NBC’s Sunday Night Football will air live, prime time coverage of the Broncos season opener in the NFL’s premiere game night package. Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Cris Collinsworth (color commentary) will call the game with Michele Tafoya reporting from the sidelines.

Radio: National radio coverage will be provided by Dial Global Radio Sports (formerly Westwood One), with Dave Sims (play-by-play) and James Lofton (color commentary) calling the game and Steve Tasker reporting from the sidelines. In the Denver area, 850 AM KOA will provide coverage with Dave Logan (play-by-play), Ed McCaffrey (color commentary) and Andy Lindahl (sideline) reporting. Home and away broadcasts are available on Sirius 93 and 92 respectively.

Live Stream: NFL.com offers an Audio Pass subscription for $29.99. Outside the U.S. and Mexico, viewers can subscribe to a streaming Game Pass on NFL.com.

Re-airs: NFL.com offers a Game Rewind service. DirecTV offers a Short Cuts feature for Sunday Ticket subscribers, though those have not always covered prime time games in the past.

Manning will be a team captain in 2012. (Michael Conroy /AP)

On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos announced six team captains for the 2012 season.  As expected, the group is highlighted by quarterback Peyton Manning.

Broncos’ 2012 team captains:

• QB Peyton Manning (Offense)
• G Chris Kuper (Offense)
• CB Champ Bailey (Defense)
• DE Elvis Dumervil (Defense)
• LB Wesley Woodyard (Special Teams)

Dumervil is the only first-time captain among the group.  Manning has been a captain for eleven consecutive seasons; Bailey’s going on his sixth consecutive year; Kuper is entering his third season as a captain and Woodyard has been a captain since he entered the league in 2008.

While Kuper recovers from his fractured forearm, running back Willis McGahee will serve as an interim team captain.  McGahee became a captain mid-season in 2011 after the Broncos cut quarterback Kyle Orton, who was one of the team’s offensive team captains at the time.

The captains listed above will be joined by Centennial resident and Regis Jesuit High School student Missy Franklin at midfield for the pregame coin toss on Sunday.  Franklin—a six-time Olympic Medalist who visited the Broncos during training camp in July—will be an honorary captain for the game.

The captains were voted for by their teammates.  And if I do say so myself, they picked an excellent group of leaders.

Denver Broncos News

• Another “best QB of all time” ranking, with Joe Montana beating John Elway.  If only we could have seen how either would have done with the other’s team… of course, my goggles are permanently orange and blue. [First & Orange Blog]
• Pat Bowlen has no desire to sit around and wait for another Super Bowl championship for the Denver Broncos.  He wants to seize it! [Denver Post]
• Meanwhile, everything else written by the Denver Post yesterday was Peyton Manning related – hey at least it ain’t Tim Tebow related!  Check it out here, here, here, here, and yes, here. [Denver Post]
• Rod Smith is going to unveil this bitchin’ new fan flag tonight at the Rockefeller Center to celebrate the start of the 2012 NFL Season. [DenverBroncos.com]
• The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for 2010 Peyton Manning, but they may not realize is they are getting the 2012 Peyton Manning.  Run Willis McGahee, run! [SI.com]
• Peter King offers his view on each NFL team in his one-minute drills, with Don Banks offer his opinion on each NFL Division. The both expect the Broncos to go deep into the playoffs. [SI.com]

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more Broncos updates throughout the day.